In Jamie Cvengros‘s experience, people with depression often avoid talking about depression.
“There’s a stigma around mental illness,” says Cvengros, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Rush University Medical Center. “And that makes people hesitant to tell their loved ones, or their doctors, that something is wrong.” Cvengros was writing in the Rush Stories publication.
But even those who don’t say anything usually communicate their problem via changes in their body language and behavior.
Learning to recognize these six nonverbal signs can equip you to extend needed help and compassion to the people in your life who may be struggling with depression:
1. Changing body language
“If someone in your life is depressed, you’ll probably notice that their body language changes,” Cvengros says. How it changes depends on the person. Some people might make less eye contact than usual. Others may have a more slumped posture. Their hand gestures may become less frequent, or slower.
